Bro, I'm not an Undead!



"Oh. I like the change in attitude. Glad you're shaping up to become a competent partner, Festos," Aurolio said to Skullius.

The Hybrid Luman merely snorted at the pale man's words. The more he got to know this man, the more he got irritated by his personality. Then again, it was to be expected if this guy was so powerful he really couldn't be defeated.

What a cheat!

He couldn't react to that fact enough.

But then what about the nervous wreck Aurolio had become before they ended their conversation a few hours ago?

Skullius didn't know what to make of that part.

"How did you get here?" the Hybrid Luman asked.

"Hmm?" Aurolio raised in brow in confusion before realising what Skullius meant. "Oh, that. I marked you a while back. Back at the.. uh.. gathering or whatever before the Premium Age Royale began. You must not have an advanced guidance field if you don't know that it can do that."

Skullius frowned.

Back at the gathering?

Well, he understood marking pretty well. This was one of the functions he had received after his guidance field was upgraded to Patronage Rank 1,<Marked Spots>. There was also another feature linked to the <Marked Spots> called <Quick Spawn>, that he couldn't access yet. It allowed the user to teleport to any of the <Marked Spots>.

So that's what it was.

But as for when exactly he was marked...

Oh well.

The pale man just got even more annoying in Skullius' eyes.

He seemed to have everything in the palm of his hands.

"Now, why don't we go somewhere more appropriate hmm?" Aurolio said.

Skullius shook his head and led the pale man and the silent Idline to a private room within the grand mansion.

Aurolio whistled at the decor and offered a few compliments which Skullius disregarded with vain appreciation or simple nods.

As soon as they got seated, Skullius got to business.

Might as well get this over with.

"So, let's lay out the terms clearly and seal them with a Tie of Exchange," he said.

The pale man nodded.

"Of course. Right to the point, I see. However..." Aurolio said while leaning a bit closer to Skullius from the comfort of the couch he was seated on which was opposite the Hybrid Luman, behind a smooth, wooden table. "...I do hope you know the severity of the contract you're invoking. Sane human beings don't usually opt to use a Tie of Exchange so casually."

Skullius kept his straight face.

"Luckily both of us aren't human... or sane. Besides what part of this says 'casual' to you?" he said with monotone voice.

Aurolio gave a boisterous laugh.

"Too true. Then let me go first. I'm not one for hostility, but I like to keep my ego on a high pedestal about Lady Aigas' ass where it belongs. So I won't hesitate to kill if it's challenged or ridiculed. That said, as I mentioned earlier, I will refrain from doing you any harm if you help me procure Null beasts to use to raise my level. Starting with ones in Genhuis, of course."

"I see. Then I... Wait. The ones in Genhuis? " Skullius asked, confused.

"Yeah. Like I told you before. There's no easy way to destroy those things. They have been imprisoned at the Reacher Academy for research and extermination. We'll start there. Right partner?" Aurolio said with a sly smile.

Skullius rubbed his chin.

So that's where the Fledging Null Badubs were.

But then...

"How are we supposed to get to them there? In fact, why should I help you with that? You could just get those ones on your own, right? You clearly have enough connections to even know confidential stuff like where they are. That's not public knowledge. In any case, it doesn't have anything to do with me," Skullius said.

"It's true. If I expose to the Academy that I was the one who killed one those beasts, they might be intrigued enough to humour my requests. Actually, they will be. However, I'd feel a bit more reassured if you were there."

"Why?"

"That information is too sensitive for me to just give you without a guarantee that you'll help," Aurolio said, his face turning serious.

Sensitive?

Skullius grumbled.

His tagging along with Aurolio for this one would complicate things. But he was going to have to face the music at some point. Said music was the fact that Gillewart was likely to spread word to a few people that Skullius was someone they should take in for questioning regarding the event.

If he appeared with Aurolio at the Academy and the two destroyed the beasts, that would call for questions. Maybe it was different for Aurolio since he had an overpowered technique and widely know reputation but for the Hybrid Luman...

"That's out of the question. I'm already in a tough spot because the City Guardian sees me as a suspect. Take that risk on your own," Skullius said firmly.

Aurolio nodded slowly with his eyes losing their glow for a seconds.

Then he spoke.

"Fine. Perhaps that was a little considerate. Even I probably wouldn't be able to help if you got tangled up by someone like that. But... I do have strong reasons for wanting you with me. So, let me sweeten the deal a bit. One time offer on the table here. In exchange for the risk – added up with my help in lessening the consequences of what may happen with the Capital Service – I'll gift you something other than information concerning the guidance field and all. I'm talking delightful trinkets."

How dramatic.

Skullius narrowed his eyes.

"Define trinkets," he said.

Aurolio smirked.

"I've cleared enough high level Clusters to earn some absurdly powerful tools and mysterious treasures. For instance..."

The pale man turned to Idline who nodded, stepped forward and placed her hand on the table. The ring on her finger shone and a large object appeared, making the wooden furniture piece groan.

It was a large, curved, ancient silver horn.

...!

The moment it appeared, Skullius zipped away from his seat and only stopped when his back smashed against the wall.

His breathing hastened and his eyes were wide open!

A look of horror was plastered on his face!

Perspiration leaked from his face, soaking it in an instant!

It wasn't just him though.

Even though Aurolio remained seated, he was sweating too, though with a smirk on his face as he looked at the horn. Idline took a few steps back and tried her best to maintain composure.

"Pretty intense, isn't it? I'm afraid of using it myself," Aurolio said before turning to Skullius. "Check its status and confirm how valuable it is."

Skullius hesitated but eventually, he took reluctant steps forward and activated Crude Vision.

Just the sheer ominous pressure gushing out of the large, curved thing in his sight, was enough to make him buckle.

He didn't get any closer than he needed to.

Its archaic nature, with the fractures and corrosion on its surface from age, and multiple rings around it like a tree, filled him with too much dread.

What was this?

~~~

[Half-Dragonite's Bone]

<Mythical>

A piece of a Half-Dragonite's outer bone shell torn in battle.

---

-Special Effects-

• Can cause rapid spawning of powerful beasts.

• ???

• ???

• ???

---

[Skill : To Ash]

???

---

[Skill : ???]

???

---

....

~~~

What was with this thing?

What was a Half-Dragonite?

Skullius remained dumbfounded at what he was looking at. He was only dragged back from speculation by Aurolio's voice.

"I'll admit there isn't much to show even with my eyes but it's just an example of what I have to offer. This one is not up for grabs though, I must say."

Idline quickly retrieved the horn back into storage and the atmosphere returned to normal.

Skullius relaxed noticeably.

"What is a Half-Dragonite?" he immediately asked.

"Just a kind of creature I encountered in a Cluster before. Apparently, it's a beast with only a quarter of the essence that makes up a real dragon. You know, the creatures that have been extinct for ages. Former rulers of Edagon, the lands of the Giants?" Aurolio explained.

Skullius nodded with apprehension.

"Took everything I had to beat it – techniques and artefacts – and even then... I did not particularly enjoy that victory. This horn is a piece of the Cluster General's natural armour coating that I managed to salvage. Anyway, I have a lot more useful things like this. Just say the word and I'll give... one, two.. three... Three! Three treasures."

This was undoubtedly tempting.

While Skullius was already acquiring Mythical grade treasures on his own, it wasn't through a stable network yet. If a blue-purple Cluster had contained creatures like Hobbu Bobbu, what more Clusters above that.

He was hesitant to enter more blue-purple Cluster willy nilly to be honest. They were just that dangerous, and he barely had the time to do so.

Of course, the offer of treasures alone wasn't enough to sway him to risk his life.

But...

When Skullius fully calmed down. He spoke.

"I'm willing to consider it. But I need specific items. For instance, do you have something that can... fix other treasures? Preferably broken Mythical grade treasures."